Bob was born in the small town of Hagedorn Mills, New York, about 15 miles west of Saratoga. These were challenging times for his parents Orville and Mabel, in the depths of the Great Depression. But, his older siblings Marilyn and Harold, and he were well cared for. They all attended and graduated from Gloversville High School. There, in 1951, he met Rosemary, and the two were married in 1953, a few months before their 19th birthdays. Together they worked Bob's way through Clarkson College, and he graduated with high honors as a civil engineer in 1956.

Bob always believed that the purpose of life was to help other people and have a little fun along the way. So he turned down much better financial offers from private corporations and entered into public service immediately with the Federal Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). There he worked to provide air navigation aids for the improvement of aviation operations throughout the northeastern United States. When the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was created in 1959, Bob went into the airport development program where he served until retiring in 1984.

During this time, he and Rosemary lived in Boston; Portland, Maine; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Atlanta; Kansas City and Seattle. By 1967 he was responsible for all Federal airport programs in the four state area surrounding Kansas City. In 1971 he did the same for the three northwest states working from Seattle. By 1982 his area of responsibility had expanded to the seven northwest states extending as far as Colorado.

Along the way, he and Rosemary had three children. The first, Michele, died of cancer in 2000. Bob Junior and Matthew live in the Seattle area, and are both retired, also from careers in the FAA.

In 1978, Bob and Rosemary purchased five acres north of Crockett Lake, in Coupeville on Whidbey Island. In 1989 Bob designed a home for the site, which he then built over the next several years. They both thoroughly enjoyed Whidbey Island living for the rest of their lives.

Robert was preceded in death by his siblings Marilyn and Harold. and is survived by his two sons and their spouses who live in the Seattle area: Bob Jr (Tess) and Matthew (Cheryl).